Arab and Muslim Political Attitudes: Stereotypes and Evidence from Survey Research

Extract

Images of Islam

Although the administration of President George W. Bush insists that the U.S. War on Terrorism is not a war on Islam, too many Americans seem to view it that way. A national poll taken by the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research following the attack of September 11, 2001, found that 54 percent expressed the view that the attack was motivated by a conflict between Christianity and Islam.

Even more disturbing are the statements of some religious figures in the U.S. For example, Rev. Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham and a well-known evangelist in his own right, said of Islam, “I believe it’s a very evil and wicked religion.” This and a sampling of other offensive references to Islam by prominent American conservatives are summarized by Nicholas Kristof in an important New York Times article published this summer.¹ Mr. Kristof concludes that if we expect Muslim leaders to confront the hate-mongers in their societies, we must confront those here in the U.S.